Reviews

1,339 reviews

Excellent

370

Very Good

462

Average

391

Poor

90

Terrible

26

Looking back, I wouldn't have chosen to go anywhere else! There are things I would change about SMU, but it is already changing so much every year and improving. Campus life is severely lacking, but the new freshman dorms are helping to change that. SMU's professors are some of the best! They are easy-going, smart, dedicated and very accessible. Small class sizes were very important to me and SMU has that. Also, don't believe anyone when they tell you SMU isn't accepting. Yes, the students are somewhat conservative, politically, but they aren't hateful people. SMU's location is Dallas is very valuable for internships and post-grad employment as well, not to mention how fun it is just to live there.

I am a recent alumnus so I will be a bit biased but I will also as objective as possible with my review...
First things first, I would honestly give this school a 4.5, or a 9/10... not a 10. Mostly for this upcoming reason.
CONS:
This school is CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY expensive lol. Was my degree worth it, the alumni network, prestige, job opportunities, etc? YES.. But SMU is still WAYYYY TOO expensive. This is the most expensive school in Texas and by a GOOD MARGIN actually lol(I believe it's around 8-10k more than TCU, 2nd most expensive lol). Thus, the "MRS" thing at SMU is fairly accurate lol.
PROS:
Where to begin...
My whole family went to either UT or Rice, so I had pressure growing up to attend those schools. I chose SMU easily and (despite the CRAZY tuition) I would do it ALL OVER AGAIN.
When you go to college you want to gain a few things:
1. Life experience
2. A solid education
3. Friends/opportunities to last a lifetime
4. Strong alumni network (SMU has a VERY STRONG one!)
5. Degree weight/worth/value
6. Opportunity
7. A GOOD job
You will get ALL OF THOSE at SMU. Upon graduation I had no trouble getting job offers, particularly in Dallas and ALL THROUGHOUT Texas. The other 2 major cities that come to mind: Houston and Austin, I had DOZENS of offers and meetings from those areas lol. It just came down to where I wanted to live in the end, honestly lol. They were ALL good jobs! The "recognition/prestige' of being SMU alumni is almost UNMATCHED in Texas. If you plan to stay in Texas after graduation, you will be JUST FINE(trust me) lol.
The friends i've met, made, and kept from my days from all background SES, racial(SMU is more diverse than you think), Greek or NON Greek, I have and will keep for a lifetime. I also PERSONALLY know 2 people who got into Harvard Law and 1 to Harvard Med from SMU undergrad.
SMU pushes you to bring the best OUT OF YOU, work hard, do right, do well, carry/present yourself well and Pony Up!

Recent Alumnus

Nov 9 2015

SMU strikes a great balance between many aspects of the college experience. The beauty of the campus and overall quality of the education reminds me daily of why I chose to come to this school. It can be expensive, but the school offers tons of merit aid that helps to offset the cost. The residential commons system, while still in a developing stage, is an awesome design. We have had a few conflicts recently with close-minded people striving to stop the diversification of the school, but these people in no way represent the majority (in fact, most of the school strikes back when hate gets spread). The University Curriculum has been revised three times in the past 4-5 years, and it's still a clunky, confusing mess. The good parts of the school far outweigh the bad though, and that's what makes me proud to be a student here.